[Albion] 10 games to go, can we get European qualification again?

[WestYorkshireSeagull]

After being brought back down to earth with the last 8 days of football emotions, I am hoping for the Conference League spot in all honesty.

Just like when we got promoted to the Premier League, you have to take bloom-like baby steps to consolidate your new position. We can have a really good go at lifting that trophy and in the meantime build for the next step of the Europa League

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Great to be even talking about it!

 

[Brovion]

Wot? No option for Champions' League?

 

[LamieRobertson]

Yes.

 

[goldstone]

I have not voted because nobody knows… But we can do , certainly . It is within our grasp
I will not feed the trolls posting silly nonsense.

So presumably you don't vote in General Elections as "nobody knows"?

 

[ROSM]

Where we are it feels like we should be able to make 8th, but in reality our remaining fixtures are the hardest of any club. Given key injuries I think we'll just fall short.

You may be right but we seem to have learnt how to win 1-0. This could be the RDZ / George Graham crossover we need for 6 or 7 of the next 10 games

 

[A1X]

I think the extended gap we have now, plus the lack of any other distractions in terms of FA Cup / UEL, will help us out.

A chance to get key players back and toward full fitness (Pedro, Enciso, Fati) plus one game a week rather than having to juggle the squad around to cater for two games a week (other than the likely Man City midweek game).

 

[Mellotron]

8th and Europa Conference would be excellent.

 

[Hotchilidog]

It's a big ask but I think 8th is achievable. I am not getting hung up on it though. We'll give it a go and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[dazzer6666]

Will go down to the wire.

 

[GJN1]

After being brought back down to earth with the last 8 days of football emotions, I am hoping for the Conference League spot in all honesty.

Just like when we got promoted to the Premier League, you have to take bloom-like baby steps to consolidate your new position. We can have a really good go at lifting that trophy and in the meantime build for the next step of the Europa League

I think it's a much better bet for us. Just looking at the teams that were left in the last 16 and it looks like the Champions League in any other given season. Besides, we've done all the big European cities now. High time we ventured through several time zones instead.

 

[Mellotron]

You may be right but we seem to have learnt how to win 1-0. This could be the RDZ / George Graham crossover we need for 6 or 7 of the next 10 games

Definitely encouraged by how we have approached the last 2 games.

 

[Husty]

This is the battle right here;

View attachment 178788

We need to finish top half of this table of 6 basically. Our goal difference helps. We also have to play 6th, 10th and 11th - big chances for us.

Yep, and actually when you look at the run-ins of West Ham & Newcastle they are both very tough. Chelsea also have to play a number of these teams so there are points to be dropped all over the place. Its not beyond the realms of possibility that we finish 8th this year. But remains to be seen whether that will earn us a EUCL spot or not.

 

[Simster]

Positives: there's no doubt we can reach 7th and I believe it's looking good for 8th spot being a Conference place (assuming Wolves/Chelsea don't win the FAC and finish below 8th themselves)
Negatives: Making up 5 points in 10 games to grab 6th is a tall order so I've almost discounted it.

Here is my breakdown of our chances of us finishing in a European place:

6th or above: We are 14/15 on the exchanges. About a 7% chance
7th: We are in a five way battle for this spot but all except Wolves have bigger squads. I'd say you could add about another 15% to the 7% above for us to finish top 7
8th: The last spot to be fought out by the remaining 4. Mind you, Wolves and Chelsea have kind FA Cup draws and could yet win that, thus rendering this spot useless to us if they also finished 9th or lower. So could Newcastle, but they're away to Man City. So perhaps add another 10%.

tl;dr I reckon our chances of European football are about one in three.

 

[jimhigham]

Tough games to come but we perform better against teams that aren't blocking. Who knows about Europe but we might yet shake up the title race just a tad.

 

[Silver f Chariot]

I think 5 wins should be enough but we may have to avoiding defeat against Chelsea and probably Newcastle in that too. Tough ask, but I think we are capable of doing it. The crucial games are Chelsea and Newcastle.... 2 Draw's aren't terrible against them (as it stops them getting points) and 2 wins would be UNREAL but they are the games that may prove crucial...

 

[Mellotron]

Yep, and actually when you look at the run-ins of West Ham & Newcastle they are both very tough. Chelsea also have to play a number of these teams so there are points to be dropped all over the place. Its not beyond the realms of possibility that we finish 8th this year. But remains to be seen whether that will earn us a EUCL spot or not.

Latest news is that it is approximately 80% likely at present. Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham progressing all helps.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Trying to think of a term that correctly defines our next 10 games

 

[Bozza]

Trying to think of a term that correctly defines our next 10 games

Paging @Greg Bobkin

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Of course we bloody can!

We need to finish 7th or possibly 8th to get the last European spot and we're bang in the race for that. Admittedly we have a tough run in but that just means we'll be facing teams who won't be parking the bus.

We could do with no more injuries and getting Pedro back plus West Ham going to at least the semi finals of the Europa league - the prize for winning that is far greater than finishing in the last European spot, I'm sure they'd take finishing 10th or 11th but winning the Europa over finishing 7th or 8th.

Time will tell if we can actually do it but any season other than this one we'd be all over the possibility of qualifying rather than this slightly downbeat attitude. Come on guys/gals buck up!